Macau students achieved outstanding results across four key assessment domains in the latest PISA study: science, mathematics, reading, and Learning in the Digital World (LDW)*, topping global rankings in LDW with a score of 572 points.
The Paris-based Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) published yesterday the global results of its Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2025. Following the release, Macau’s Education and Youth Development Bureau (DSEDJ) held a press conference at its headquarters to present an analysis of the Macao Special Administrative Region’s (MSAR) performance.
The international study surveyed 765,000 students across 91 countries and economies, representing approximately 33 million students worldwide. In Macau, 46 secondary schools took part, involving nearly 5,000 students, over 680 teachers, and almost 5,000 parents, according to DSEDJ statement issued after the press conference.
PISA, launched in 2000, evaluates global education systems by testing 15-year-old students every three years in mathematics, science, and reading, with one primary subject domain emphasised in each assessment cycle.
DSEDJ Director Kong Chi Meng highlighted the city’s top-tier performance across all four metrics. In LDW, Macau secured the top spot globally with an average score of 572, with 53.7 per cent of students achieving high-performance (“elite”) status – the highest proportion worldwide.
In science, Macau scored an average of 541, ranking third globally behind Singapore and the Chinese mainland (represented by four participating provinces/municipalities: Beijing, Shanghai, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang). In mathematics, Macau also placed third globally with 549 points, trailing Singapore and the Chinese mainland as well. In reading, Macau placed fifth with 501 points, following Singapore, the Chinese mainland, China’s Taiwan region, and Japan.
Kong noted that local students excelled in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) fields, demonstrating strong capabilities in integrating scientific enquiry, mathematical reasoning, and computational thinking to solve complex problems, alongside advanced programming and modelling skills.
The region’s education system was also praised for educational equity, recording one of the lowest proportions of low-achieving students globally. Macau recorded the second-lowest rate of low performers in science and mathematics, the third-lowest in reading, and the lowest globally in digital learning.
Gender breakdown showed local boys outperforming girls in mathematics, science, and digital learning, while girls performed better in reading. The gap was narrowest in science, where boys led by just one point.
Kong attributed the results to recent government initiatives in artificial intelligence (AI) education. Key measures include embedding AI and coding into the school curriculum, funding AI experimental classrooms, building smart teaching platforms, and leveraging the Macau section of the National Smart Education Public Service Platform to share educational resources.
He added that digital learning in Macau has evolved beyond basic device usage into intelligent AI-assisted learning, significantly boosting student STEM literacy across the MSAR.
*Learning in the Digital World (LDW) is the innovative domain assessed for the first time in the PISA 2025 study. It measures the ability of 15-year-old students to actively and effectively manage their own learning using digital tools and computational methods. The assessment is grounded in a social constructivist view of learning, emphasising that students build knowledge through active interaction with their environment and available digital resources. The LDW assessment is not a traditional test but a series of interactive, 30-minute task units designed as simulated digital learning environments. Students are given complex problems to solve and must navigate a variety of digital tools and resources. – DeepSeek
Education and Youth Development Bureau (DSEDJ) Director Kong Chi Meng looks on during yesterday’s press conference about the results of the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2025 at the bureau on Avenida de D. João. – Photo: DSEDJ
